Will Bush thank Spain for the Sacrifice?
Update 17 August: El Mundo (Madrid) reports that the Spanish Defense Ministry suggests that the Cougar may been buffeted by high winds when the pilot lost control. But a Spanish soldier aboard the second helicoper claims that the craft was attacked in an interview with Spanish radio. NATO believes it was an accident.
Update: A Taliban spokesman identifying himself as Mullah Dadulá said the Taliban brought down the Spanish helicopter.
17 Spanish soldiers died in the crash of their Cougar helicopter at Shindand, south of Herāt, Afghanistan, where the Spanish contingent is based. Defense Minister José Bono does not discount any cause for the crash, including an attack. 12 of the deceased belonged to the 29th Airborne Regiment of Galicia; the other five from the El Copero regiment of Seville.
Four other Spanish soldiers were injured when a second helicopter, accompanying the first, made an "hard" landing--one was seriously hurt and three others had minor cuts and bruises. A fifth soldier fainted.
However, questions are being asked why it was necessary to fly a mission at 10 feet off the ground over a plateau in the mountains.
In addition to providing medical and security logistical support to the US ISAF team in Farah [where the two helicopters appeared to be heading--Nur], the Italian team in the city of Herat, the Lithuanian team in Changcharan (Ghor), and the Spanish Provincial Reconstruction team in Qala-i-Naw, their mission was to provide security for the upcoming 18 September elections.
Will Bush send a note of condolence to Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero? Shockingly, Bush has declared Zapatero, the head of government of a NATO partner, persona non grata in the United States. And shamefully, it is not likely that Bush will thank these men or their country for their sacrifice.
El Copero (Seville)
- Capitán David Guitar Fernández
- Brigada Juan Morales Parra
- Sargento Alfredo Francisco Jodar
- Soldado Pedro Farrado Cabeza
- Soldado José Manuel Moreno Enríquez
29th Airborne Regiment (Pontevedra)- Teniente Javier González Hernández
- Sargento José González Bernardino
- Cabo Daniel Abreu Fernández
- Soldado Diego González Blanco
- Soldado Diego Prado López
- Soldado Isaac Calvo Piñeiro
- Soldado Jesús Casal Rivera
- Soldado José Antonio Martínez parada
- Soldado Iván Vázquez Núñez
- Soldado Gonzalo de Rey Nazada
- Soldado Pedro San Martín Pereira
- Soldado Pablo Iglesias Sánchez
Update: A Taliban spokesman identifying himself as Mullah Dadulá said the Taliban brought down the Spanish helicopter.
17 Spanish soldiers died in the crash of their Cougar helicopter at Shindand, south of Herāt, Afghanistan, where the Spanish contingent is based. Defense Minister José Bono does not discount any cause for the crash, including an attack. 12 of the deceased belonged to the 29th Airborne Regiment of Galicia; the other five from the El Copero regiment of Seville.
Four other Spanish soldiers were injured when a second helicopter, accompanying the first, made an "hard" landing--one was seriously hurt and three others had minor cuts and bruises. A fifth soldier fainted.
However, questions are being asked why it was necessary to fly a mission at 10 feet off the ground over a plateau in the mountains.
In addition to providing medical and security logistical support to the US ISAF team in Farah [where the two helicopters appeared to be heading--Nur], the Italian team in the city of Herat, the Lithuanian team in Changcharan (Ghor), and the Spanish Provincial Reconstruction team in Qala-i-Naw, their mission was to provide security for the upcoming 18 September elections.
Will Bush send a note of condolence to Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero? Shockingly, Bush has declared Zapatero, the head of government of a NATO partner, persona non grata in the United States. And shamefully, it is not likely that Bush will thank these men or their country for their sacrifice.
El Copero (Seville)
- Capitán David Guitar Fernández
- Brigada Juan Morales Parra
- Sargento Alfredo Francisco Jodar
- Soldado Pedro Farrado Cabeza
- Soldado José Manuel Moreno Enríquez
29th Airborne Regiment (Pontevedra)- Teniente Javier González Hernández
- Sargento José González Bernardino
- Cabo Daniel Abreu Fernández
- Soldado Diego González Blanco
- Soldado Diego Prado López
- Soldado Isaac Calvo Piñeiro
- Soldado Jesús Casal Rivera
- Soldado José Antonio Martínez parada
- Soldado Iván Vázquez Núñez
- Soldado Gonzalo de Rey Nazada
- Soldado Pedro San Martín Pereira
- Soldado Pablo Iglesias Sánchez
posted by Nur-al-Cubicle | 8:38 AM
5 Comments:
Eek! Nur something's slipped past you!
"President José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero"
The head of government is the prime minister - That's Premier Zapatero.
The Head of State is the King. Juan Carlos De Bourbon.
There is no presisdent of Spain.
José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero is the president of the Spanish Government. The charge of prime minister doesn't exist in Spain.
Es Verdad.
- True and you know that and I know that and I put my note to Nur very badly. She often puts in an explanatory comment on things like that.*
Just as I would when writing in Spanish about Irish politics. The Irish title of "prime minister" is "Taoiseach" - which translates into Spanish as "Caudillo". Definitely something that would need explaining no?
*And some day she's even going to find the time to explain how she finds the time ......
500 posts of which fifty with Prime Minister Zapatatero and I space once and you guys are all over me!
That's the price you pay for being a good as you are :-)
And I can't resist this I learnt a few years ago from a Ugandan student that one of the Duke of Edinburgh's titles is:
"Fellah belong Mrs. Queen."
Better stick that into your database.
Goodnight Nur - keep up the good work we all appreciate it greatly.
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